Collapsible tube holder



May 31, 1932.

B. DUNELL 1,860,662

GOLLAPS IBLE TUBE HOLDER Filed April 6. 1931 INVEN TOR BERNARD DUNE/.1.

A 7'7'ORNEYS Patented May 31, 1932 UNITED STATES:

Application filed April 6, 193i... Serial to. 52?,865.

My invention relates to improvements in collapsibletube holders whichare particularly adapted for supporting tubes of tooth paste and thelike that the paste may be conveniently expressed from the tube by one1' hand and the tube supported when not in use in a convenientposition,so that it is not necessary to use the cap with which the tubeis usually fitted.

having a vertical member capable of engag- 7 ing the extremities of thetube to support said tube with its mouth uppermost and an apertureadjacent the upper extremity of the support affording access to thethumb or index finger for collapsing the end of the tube adjacent itsupper end, as will be more fully described in the followingspecification and I shown in the accompanying drawings, in

which Fig. 1 is a rear view of the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view ofits base.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the base taken 30 tube.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate correspondingparts .in each figure. Y

The holder consists of a base generally indicated by the numeral 1,which is preferably formed from'a sheet of stamping material having amain portion 2 having an elongated slot 3 and a pair of spacedextensions 4:, the edges of the main portion and of the extensions aredownwardly turned as at 5 as a stifiener for the base.

The portion extending between the extensions 4 is upwardlybent to form asubstantially vertical member 6, the-sides of which adjacent its upperextremity are curved as at 7 to conform to a substantiallysemi-cylindrical shape. Between the curved sides 7 an aperture 8approximately equal in extent to the diameter of the tube to besupported is "f ormed," the purpos e of which will herein- Y j Thevertical member tl is surmounted with fasubstantially;U shaped 'cap' 9,see Figures so asto provide a throat 11 through which tube may be firmlysupported in. position.

The invention consists essentially of a base 1 j I unserted' through theslot 3 1n the base 1 and "be"fir'mly secured at opposite ends and in andfingers, the thumb preferably being so PA-TENT OFFICE after appear.

land at, the inner, peripheral. edges being extended to slightly morethan a semicircle 10 the nipple 12 of a tube 13 is forcedthat the Theseam 14 .at the lower end of the tube isis bent at right angles to thelongitudinal axis of said tube, thereby causing the tubeto Igirtualcontact, with the upstanding memer 6. l V

In use the holder with a tube secured thereto as above described islightly gripped with one hand and a pressure first exerted at the baseof the tube to collapse it against the up, standing member 6, thusexpressing the paste 7 contents of the tube as required through thenipple 12. When the lower portion of the tube has been collapsed and theremainder of the paste is held in the upper portion adjae cent theaperture 8, an intimate contact is made on both sides of the tube by,the thumb placed as to extend through the aperture 8 as shown in Figure5. t p

The pressure as applied to the upper. end of the tube by allowing thethumb or finger tips to pass through the aperture 8enables the sidewalls to be brought into approximate alignment with the longitudinalaxis of the tube, so that there is no tendency for the tube to bedisaligned or the nipple 12 from being displaced from the throat 11.

When the entire contents of the tube have been used, it sufiices towithdraw the nipple. 12 from the throat 11 and move the collapsed tubeinto a horizontal position, when its seam 14 may be lifted out of theslot 3.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A collapsible tubeholder comprising a 9 7 base, an upstanding memberand means on the member for" supporting a tube adjacent its upper endwith one side of said tube in close proximity to said member, saidmember having an aperture adjacent its upper end.

affording access to the finger tips whereby the upper end of the tube isaccessible to collapsing pressure of the fingers from its exposed sideand through the aperture of the 5 upstanding member.

2. A collapsible tube holder comprising a ua pstandi g em e an imea spthe member 01" supporting-a tube adjacent its upper end with one side ofsaid tube in m close proximity to said member, said member having an,apextureggadjacent -itsupper end aflording access to the finger tipswhereby the upper end of the tube is-acoessible- -to collapsin pressureof the fingers from its exposed si e and throughthe aperture of-theupstanding memb a dim m o securin the lower end of the tube to theb ase.

W3. A collapsibletubeholder comprising a "blan ofsheet materialhaV-ingone end split 'on' opposite sidestgajnd wbentfjo ,form a U- tghapedbaseand an upstanding membemsaid x'u-s'haped base having spaced, legsan'd aconvmeeting portion therefor from ,which portion th nps n ng memb e nds,ai blank having its-opposite end bent to overhang the 7 connectingportion of the U-shaped baseand .providd with 21 slot for receiving thenipple o of tube; V i i Datedat Vancouver Bi Q, this 19th day of noMarch, 1 931.

i i BERNARD DUNELL.

